Thoroughly Modern Scarlett
by ElsieEdwina
Summary: Scarlett O'Hara had everything planned out for her senior year drama club show, but one casting mishap is threatening to ruin everything. Modern re-imagining of the Twelve Oaks Library scene. Oneshot. Rated T for swearing. Edit: Chapter 2 is more behind-the-curtain antics from the Clayton County High School Drama Club!
1. The Cast List

**Hello! I'm back again! I'm not really sure where this idea came from ... it just kind of popped in my head. I hope this will still make sense without having seen Thoroughly Modern Millie - basically, all you need to know is this: Millie is the eager young ingenue who plans to move to New York and marry her boss, but the charmingly annoying Jimmy Smith keeps getting in her way. She likes Jimmy well enough, but he's as dirt poor as she is so she decides to stick with her plan and immediately falls for the dashing Trevor Graydon when he hires her as secretary. Unfortunately, Graydon is now head-over-heels for her best friend, Miss Dorothy, who's a sweet and naive young socialite looking to learn 'how the other half lives'. That's a really bad summary, but I think you get the concept. You know what, just read the Wikipedia summary. Or watch the show - it's totally worth it.**

"This is ridiculous!" Scarlett O'Hara stomped into the basement chorus room, not even glancing up to confirm that Ashley was indeed in the room. She didn't have to look up – he was always here between periods, messing around with the old electric keyboard. Lord knew why.

"Scarlett, are you –"

"I can't believe this! Just look at it!" She shoved her candy-pink iphone in his face, stopping just short of breaking his nose. He leaned back slightly and blinked as he tried to read the screen.

"Oh." His grey eyes dropped to the black and white keys and his face went a bit red. "The cast list – yeah, I've seen it." Scarlett didn't notice the hint of guilt in his voice; she was too busy fuming.

"This is absolutely ridiculous," she cried as she flopped down on one of the hard black chorus-room chairs, her dark hair swishing dramatically and her phone slipping down to the seat beside her, its bright display mocking her with its big red letters: Thoroughly Modern Millie – Cast List. "I mean, what the hell? She can't just – when Brent told me I thought he was totally BS-ing but –"

"You're Millie, though," said Ashley softly, daring to look up but still not meeting her flashing green eyes. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"What I wanted? Well, of course it's what I wanted!" she exploded. "You know I'm meant for the role. It's not my casting that's the issue – it's yours."

"Mine?"

"Yes, yours, Ashley Wilkes! I thought you said you looked? This is ridiculous – she can't just cast you as Graydon when you auditioned for Jimmy!"

His eyes were back at the keyboard. "Right."

"Great balls of fire, Ashley – I know you're in shock but show a little initiative!" She stood up and began pacing the tiny room, her brow furrowed. "I'll make Pa complain about it – we fund half the drama program, Mrs. Mitchell can't say no to him. I'll –"

"No, Scarlett – you can't complain."

Scarlett stopped in her tracks. "Well of course I can, Ashely! Unless," her eyes narrowed, "you don't want me to." Ashley looked sheepish; Scarlett threw her hands in the air. "Oh come on, Ashley! I know you're pissed that you weren't Frederick last year but do you really think singing about _floor wax_ will make up for it? This is our senior show – it was supposed to be perfect!" She dropped back down into the chair, a frown marring her vibrant features. Her s_enior show_ – the one she'd been planning and plotting for since freshman year. No, since middle school! And it was all going to be ruined based on one stupid casting decision. Tears threatened and she bit her lip, determined not to cry. Scarlett O'Hara never cried, not unless she was onstage.

Ashley knew that face – he'd seen it often enough in their 17 years of friendship. Scarlett could bluster and storm and channel her father as much as she wanted, but he knew she really was upset. Guilt twisted in his stomach; he'd hoped she'd take it better than this. "It'll be alright," he said softly. "No one ever agrees with Mrs. Mitchell's cast lists at the start."

"But this was supposed to be the perfect year. We were supposed to play opposite each other and, and –" Scarlett broke off, going red with shame and disappointment. Was it foolish of her to have dreamt of a stage romance? To imagine that their feelings would finally reveal themselves as they choreographed the perfect stage-kiss? Of course everyone knew that drama club relationships were doomed, but she and Ashley were supposed to be different.

And now it was all ruined. Ashley would be playing Trevor Graydon instead, with that stupid little soprano as his love interest. "I can't believe this," she said yet again, which was true. It just made no sense. "You auditioned for Jimmy! And now you're playing opposite Melan – Wait." Her eyes widened in horror as it all suddenly clicked into place. "You didn't audition for Jimmy, did you?"

Ashley devoted his full attention to the keyboard, his face suddenly going a very guilty red. Scarlett stood up, anger fueling her steps. "You auditioned for Graydon, didn't you? Well, did you?" By now she was looming over him, determined to force an answer out if it was the last thing she did. Ashley shrunk beneath her glare and simply nodded. "Oh Lord, Ashley – how could you? You know I'm an alto – you knew I was going for Millie. And you knew Melly would get Miss Dorothy!"

He nodded and said something under his breath.

"What?"

He looked up and said in a slightly stronger voice, "Melanie thought it would be cute."

"Excuse me? Since when do you give a damn about what Melanie-freaking-Hamilton thinks?" shrieked Scarlett, her emerald eyes flashing. "No. No no no no no. You cannot be serious!"

"Scarlett –"

"No. I won't believe it!"

"Scarlett, please –"

"Don't you 'Scarlett, please' me, Ashely Wilkes!" she cried as she began pacing again, only this time much more frantically. Her eyes darted around in search of a small trinket or decoration – something she could break without incurring too much of Mrs. Mitchell's wrath. "Oh, I can't believe you!"

"Scarlett," he said softly, watching her with helpless eyes. "Melanie and I started dating over summer break."

This was the last thing Scarlett wanted to hear. She whirled around and grabbed her phone, wielding it like some deadly weapon as she stomped towards him. "Did you? That's cute. And I guess you thought it would be funny to lead me on –"

"I didn't –"

"Don't you interrupt me! You never once thought to tell me, 'hey, Scarlett, I'm dating your biggest rival!' or, 'Scar, thought you'd like to know that I'm not going out for Jimmy anymore'!"

Ashley shrunk helplessly beneath her glare. "But Scarlett, I thought you might drop out if I told you, and we all know you'll be perfect as Millie."

"Well or course I will be," she sniffed, flipping her hair and arching her brow. "I'd just like some warning next time you plan to stab me in the back, Caesar."

"Actually, it was Brut –"

"Don't correct me!"

They were silent a moment as Scarlett fumed and Ashley watched her as one might watch a ticking bomb. Finally, Scarlett composed herself enough to look him civilly in the eye.

"You're still doing the show, right?" he asked, his voice timid. She took a deep breath and nodded. "You'll be great as Millie." Again, she nodded. "And we'll still have lots of scenes together." Another nod. "Are you going to say something, Scar?"

"In case you haven't noticed, Ashley, I'm royally pissed with you right now. So I suggest you get your ass out of here before I lose my control and murder you." Her voice was calm but her eyes betrayed the severity of her threat.

"You're terrifying when you get like that, Scarlett."

"Damn right I am. Now get the hell out."

Ashley didn't wait to be told twice. He slid off the keyboard stool and hurried to the door, only pausing once his hand was on the doorknob. "Who got Jimmy, anyway?" he asked.

"Some damn new kid. Rhett Butler, or something like that. Now leave."

He readily complied, leaving Scarlett apparently alone in the chorus room. Gripping her phone tightly she sunk down into his vacated stool. "Rhett Butler," she muttered. "That's a stupid name."

"Well, my mother liked it."

**Well, hope y'all liked it! This is a Oneshot that I can't see myself continuing (famous last words, hmm?). I just don't see the plot of GWTW translating well to a modern high school drama club. Also, I feel like Rhett's age is kind of important to his characterization and this demands that they're all in high school ... Besides, I don't need another story to be working on! **

**Please please please review - whether you liked it, hated it, or just wish you hadn't wasted five minutes of your life reading it, I want to know! **

**Oh, and one other thing - if you're wondering about the whole 'floor wax' thing, that's a reference to the fact that the song "The Speed Test" stole its tune from a Gilbert and Sullivan patter song which was sung by Frederick in _The Pirates of Penzance_ (though it was originally from _Rudigore_ and was simply inserted by Joseph Papp in his Broadway production). There's your musical theater lesson for the day!**


	2. RKB the OG

**So I know I said this was a oneshot, but the Clayton County High School Drama Club kept forcing its way into my mind!**

**To be clear this is not going to be a full-on story that I will continue to update … this is just another oneshot within the same universe. Cool? Cool.**

**It also happens to be about Phantom of the Opera, one of my favorite shows. You don't need to really know Phantom to understand this, though I'd highly recommend watching it if you haven't already. And, if you ARE a "Phan", check out my fics for POTO!**

Rhett Butler was the absolute most awful, terrible, hateful person to ever walk the face of the planet. Of this, Scarlett was sure. How dare he come and ruin everything? Not only was he cast in the role that should have been Ashley's, but he was making rehearsals a living hell.

Perhaps that was an overstatement, but Scarlett was royally pissed. He'd been snarky and rude to her all day, and, what was worse, Mrs. Mitchell apparently loved him. Scarlett had _always_ been Mrs. Mitchell's favorite, but in just two weeks of rehearsal Rhett-freaking-Butler had usurped her.

She glared at the unfortunate freshman who dared to cross her path as she stalked from the auditorium out the door to her car. No one else had left yet; it was tradition to stay behind and hang out in the auditorium after rehearsal before some poor janitor finally kicked everyone out. Scarlett was usually at the center of this, leading the boys in improv games that usually ended with her receiving at least one proposal, regardless of the scene set-up, but she hadn't stayed late once this year. She couldn't stand to be in _his_ company any more than was strictly necessary.

As she neared her car she paused, overcome with the uncomfortable feeling that she was missing something. "Dammit!" Sure enough she'd left her character shoes back in the green room. With another string of curses that would make her father proud and her mother die of shame, Scarlett threw her bag in the passenger seat of her car and hurried back to the auditorium before some little freshman could get wise and try to snitch them. They were, after all, ridiculously expensive, professional-quality shoes that she'd spent well over a week begging her mother for. The knowledge of how Ellen would react if they were lost spurred Scarlett on, bringing her to the green room in record time.

Luckily, her shoes were still there. With a sigh of relief she slipped her fingers through the ankle straps and headed back towards the door. As she passed the stage, however, she paused. Someone was playing "Phantom of the Opera".

Scarlett wouldn't have considered herself a huge "Phan" like some of the other drama kids, but she'd watched the 2004 movie plenty and had even seen the National Tour when it had stopped by Atlanta. In short, she knew enough to tell that it was a pretty decent rendition.

She crept through the wings till she could see into the pit where a couple of people were crowded around Mrs. Mitchell's piano. Of course. How could she not have recognized their voices?

"Sing for me, my angel of music!" Rhett's smile was ironic, but he seemed to be taking the performance seriously. Scarlett stared at him for a moment, trying to imagine him in a cape and a mask. If she could get past his absurd self-confidence she could almost imagine him as the Phantom. Of course, she'd never seen the appeal of masked musical geniuses. Her heart had always belonged to Raoul, with his blond hair and gallant nature and boyish charm.

Still, there was something hypnotic about the Phantom, particularly the way Rhett was currently playing him. His voice was smooth and his arms flexed enticingly as he easily played the accompaniment. He didn't seem to have any sheet music before him, which impressed her even more. She'd known he could sing well, but this was a new revelation.

As resident soprano it was only natural that Melly was the one singing Christine. She smiled sweetly as she began into the cadenza, her soft, sweet voice reaching the high notes with apparent ease. Scarlett frowned as she watched this. Though she'd never admit it, Melly had a lovely voice, and her innocence was just right for the wide-eyed Opera House ingénue. As she went up to the high E Scarlett cringed – not because Melly was off-pitch, but because it reminded her of back before she'd accepted that she was an alto. Though Scarlett hated to admit it, she used to dream of hitting those high notes, even if she did sound like a dying cat each time she tried.

As Rhett played the final chord the kids surrounding the piano burst into applause. Scarlett just rolled her eyes, still hidden in the wings.

"That was _amazing_!" gushed Maybelle Merriwether, resident suck-up. "Like, why are you two not on Broadway right now?"

Melly laughed modestly. Rhett just raised his eyebrows.

"I probably shouldn't have gone for that E," said Melly, smiling but rubbing her throat. "I was just so in the moment, you know? It felt wrong to cheapen out at the end." She laughed. "Oh, my voice coach would kill me if he found out."

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with us," said Rhett gallantly, taking her hand and kissing it. Scarlett glared. Who the hell did that in 2015? "Unless, of course, he already knows."

Melly frowned. "How would he know?"

"Well, how do we know he's not listening right now?" Rhett asked, perfectly serious. "You do take lessons from the Angel of Music, don't you? With a voice like that …"

Still in the wings, Scarlett rolled her eyes. Did he think he was being funny? Of course, Melly laughed.

"Well thank you," she said modestly. "I'm not really that good, though."

"But seriously," insisted Maybelle, "that was incredible. I mean, Melly, you're basically Christine, and Rhett – oh my god. Perfection!"

Scarlett couldn't take it any longer. "Gerard Butler was better," she said as she stepped out on stage, flipping her hair casually. Rhett looked up at her and smirked.

"Ah, the elusive Miss O'Hara returns to the stage. You _would_ be a movie fan, my dear."

Scarlett frowned. She _was_ a movie fan, but he made it sound like a bad thing. "And you're not?" she asked, stepping down off the stage and into the pit. Rhett just stood to slip his backpack over one arm and raised an eyebrow.

"Forgive me, my dear, but I've never understood how 'so distorted deformed it was hardly a face' could refer to a bad sunburn." The others laughed, but Scarlett's face went as red as the infamous Gerard's. Though logically it wasn't an insult to her, it still felt like one. Luckily, she was spared the need to come up with a smart comeback by Maybelle's sudden revelation.

"Oh my god, Rhett," she squealed. "Are you _related_ to him? I mean, you have the same last name and obviously you're both amazing singers so …"

Rhett barely glanced at Maybelle, keeping his gaze levelly on Scarlett. She wished he wouldn't. "No, not as far as I know," he said genially. "And his voice is a bit too … _harsh _for my taste."

"Well then who do you like as the Phantom?" asked Scarlett. "I suppose you're all about that one guy –" Oh, what was his name? "You know, from the sequel and the anniversary?"

"Ramin Karimloo?" asked Rhett with a smile. Scarlett scowled. Yes, that was it. Dammit. "No. Much as I love the horror that is _Love Never Dies_, he always seemed a bit too young to me. He was a better Raoul. No, I prefer Michael Crawford. The original one," he added after a second.

"I knew that," she sniffed. Or, at least, she'd known it as soon as he'd said it. It was his version of the Phantom that always came up on Pandora, after all. "Well, I have to go," she said haughtily as she turned and began to march out, her character shoes banging along against her side. If only she hadn't come back.

"Leaving already, Scar?" asked Rhett as he jogged to catch up to her. She scowled and kept on walking, her gazed fixed pointedly forwards.

"Don't call me that, Rhett."

"Why? Ashley does." He'd caught up to her by then and had fallen into step beside her, much to her annoyance. She momentarily wondered how weird it would be to just start running for her car; surely she could out-sprint him the fifty meters of parking lot, particularly as he was weighed down by a backpack. Then again, just looking at him it was evident how incredibly fit he was. As well as muscular. And just generally sculpted.

Not that Scarlett went for guys like that. Ashley's casual lankiness was much more her type. "Ah yes. That's why I can't. Couldn't have me stealing something from your precious Ashley."

"He's not my 'precious Ashley'," she said, hoping her voice sounded haughty. Rhett just laughed.

"Are you forgetting the touching scene I witnessed?"

Urgh. She'd wanted to never ever think about that again. "If you were actually a decent person then you wouldn't have been eavesdropping in the first place and you wouldn't be mentioning it now," she snapped.

"Mention what?" asked Rhett innocently. "Oh – you thought I was referring to the, ah, _cast list incident_? As enlightening as that was, I was actually talking about your telling interactions this afternoon. Or yesterday. Or pretty much any time you and Ashley are in the same room together. I'm sorry, Scarlett, but you really aren't as good of an actress as you think."

By this point, Scarlett was seeing red. Thank god her car was only a few feet away! She hurried to it, flipping her hair and trying very hard to maintain her composure. Unfortunately, Rhett was right behind her, and before she could slam the door in his face he had gotten himself in the way, leaning against the open door as casual as could be. Scarlett glared at him.

"You'd better move before I start this car and drive away," she snapped, shoving the key in the ignition with more force than was strictly necessary. Rhett just laughed.

"You wouldn't."

"Watch me."

She didn't. Rhett smirked. "Ah, see, I knew you wouldn't recklessly endanger my life."

"Your life?" scoffed Scarlett. "Please. You could move if you wanted to. I'm only worried that you'd mess up my car."

"This piece of junk? I couldn't if I tried."

Scarlett tensed and his grin widened as he realized he'd hit a nerve. Yes, her car was a bit on the older side. Yes, she'd rather have a sleek Mercedes like he drove (but actually though, what kind of high school senior drove a freaking Mercedes? Great balls of fire!). Still, her Pa had driven this car for ten years before passing it on to her. It was an honor. A legacy.

Albeit a slightly junky one.

"Please just go away," she huffed as she gripped the steering wheel tightly. "You are literally the most infuriating person on this _planet_ and your Phantom wasn't even that good."

Rhett put a hand on his heart in mock offense. "You wound me, my dear. I take particular pride in my performances as the Phantom. In fact, I heard that at my old school they were planning that for this year."

Much as she wanted to stay angry at him, Scarlett couldn't help but feel a tiny bit bad for him. He looked genuinely disappointed that he'd missed out on that chance, and if she were being totally honest (which she rarely was), his performance had been good. Vocally, at least, he would have been a fine Phantom.

"Of course, if I hadn't moved here I'd have been denied your stimulating company, and where would I be without that?"

Yep, there was the snarky comment. The pity was gone.

"Well, I'm sorry," she said nastily. "Too bad we couldn't do _Phantom_ just for you."

Rhett didn't seem to be listening to her rude comment, though. He was just studying her thoughtfully. "It's too bad your voice isn't higher," he said after a moment. "You'd be really good in that show."

Despite her better judgment Scarlett felt a happy twist in her stomach. A genuine compliment from Rhett Butler? Unheard of! Scarlett couldn't help herself; she glowed.

"Really?"

"Yeah," he said earnestly. "You already have the character down."

Scarlett's grin widened, though her brow furrowed a bit in confusion. Wasn't Melly more of the innocent ingénue type? But then, if Melly could play it she _definitely_ could.

"Yeah," he said again, a devilish smirk twisting his face. "You'd make an excellent Carlotta."

And with that he slammed the door and sauntered away, leaving Scarlett fuming in her car. _Damn him_!

**Aw, silly Scarlett. Of course Rhett was trying to insult you! If you're unfamiliar with POTO, Carlotta is the overbearing Prima Donna who thinks she's a much better singer than she actually is. Come on, Rhett – we know you're just saying this to hide your love! **

**If you're a fan of the 2004 POTO movie I apologize! Personally it kills my soul, but to each his own, right? It seemed to me like Scarlett would be more appreciative of the sexier film version than the stage show, haha. Also, something about movie!Raoul makes me think of Ashley, so ….**

**But anywhoo, hope you enjoyed! Please review - it will seriously make my week!**


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